


At The Platform

by Abradystrix



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:35:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25245490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Abradystrix/pseuds/Abradystrix
Summary: Written for @romioneficfest 2020 on Tumblr.Prompt/Day: Day 5, Hermione leaves for Hogwarts, hair.Brief summary: It’s time for Hermione to get back to Hogwarts and emotions are running high.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22





	At The Platform

For the first time in Ron’s life, he’s arrived at Platform 9 ¾ early. And for the first time since first year, he’s dreading it.

It’s 10:40am and he and Hermione have made a quick exit from Grimmauld Place, via her favourite London coffee stop for a last break together. Harry and Ginny are leaving from the Burrow, under Molly’s duress, and Ron wonders if they’ll make the traditional last-minute Weasley arrival just before the eleventh hour.

For now, he’s standing with Hermione who is fussing over Crookshanks in his cat basket. She stoops lower to tighten a strap on her trunk, recovered from the Granger house after the war. Hermione had said goodbye to her parents privately the previous night, as they were still slightly wary of the wizarding world. Ron had collected her just afterwards, and together they had Apparated back to Grimmauld Place for one of the shortest nights Ron could remember since before the war.

Hermione straightens up and fusses with her small beaded bag, opening it to check she has everything she needs. Ron watches her quietly, taking in the dark curl of her hair, the worried frown on her face and the red mark on her lip where she’s been biting it. He grabs her arm gently and turns her to look at him.

‘Hermione, you’ve quadruple checked that ruddy bag! It’s going to be fine. You’ve got this. And if you forget anything, I’ll just send Pig.’

She nods, her lip trembling a little as she clasps the bag shut. She takes a step closer to him and rests her head on his chest, as he pulls her in for a tight hug.

‘You’ll write as soon as you can,’ Ron says, listing the things they’ve discussed well in advance of today, ‘and I’ll Floo you tomorrow.’

Hermione nods.

’Then in October you’ll have a Hogsmeade weekend, and we’ll see each other then. You never know, McGonagall might take pity on us before then and let me come and visit. War heroes, Head Girl and all that.’

She sniffs as she pulls back to look up at him.

‘Yeah, maybe.’

He brushes stray curls from her face, rubbing his thumbs gently on her cheeks.

‘I’m going to miss you,’ he says softly, ‘you know that right? I love you.’

Her tears are falling freely now.

‘I’ll miss you too. I’ll miss… everything. You. Your face. Your hair.’

‘My hair?’

‘Yeah, your hair.’ She manages a shaky laugh. ‘Did I never tell you about my Amortentia?’

‘I remember the parchment, and the grass.’

’The other part was your hair. It smells of you. Apples maybe - mixed with petrichor.’

‘Petrichor?’

‘It’s the smell of rain after it’s been dry for ages.’

‘A frequent occurrence at our Scottish school,’ he remarks drily, though his ears are burning. ‘I’ll remember that one.’

‘What did yours smell of?’ Hermione asks curiously, her interest overtaking her tears for a moment.

‘Weirdly, the grass on the Quidditch pitch. Bread baking. And you.’

‘What do I smell like?’

‘Lavender.’

‘WHAT?’

’No! No not Lavender the person! The flower! Your hair! It smells like that!’ As he panics, he notices a smile quirking at her lips. He pauses.

‘Were you winding me up Hermione?’

‘Maybe a little. It’s my conditioner. I like it too.’

They smile at each other and Ron thinks about how far they’ve come to be at this point, all that they’ve faced together. It’s 10:50am now and he offers to help Hermione carry her trunk to the train. As he picks up the handle, Harry and Ginny appear. The girls hug briefly and Ron decides not to notice how ruffled Harry’s hair is, or the way his top button is sitting. Harry averts his gaze anyway and, in a fit of chivalry that causes Ginny to roll her eyes, the two boys move the trunks onto the train.

When they hop off, Ginny rushes over to Ron and pulls him into a hug.

‘Be good Ginevra,’ he says, jokingly, in an uncanny impression of their mother.

‘I will. You look after him, yeah?’ She nods at Harry, who is hugging Hermione.

‘I always do. Promise you’ll keep an eye on Hermione too? Make sure she’s ok. She says she’s doing fine but sometimes —’

‘I’ve got it Ron, don’t worry.’ They smile at each other and Ron presses a kiss to her forehead.

‘Alright, Gin. Bugger off then.’

She walks back to Harry with an airy wave and a laugh and Hermione walks over to Ron.

‘I suppose this is it.’ Hermione says, shakily.

‘Only for a bit.’

‘Am I - I’m doing the right thing aren’t I?’ Hermione is suddenly urgent, her voice anxious.

‘You are,’ Ron replies, quietly, pulling her to him and speaking right into her ear. ‘You are going to be amazing.’

‘I’m not without you.’

‘Bullshit. You’re going to shine.’

He kisses her, long and deep, sure he can hear her heart fluttering under her jumper.

When they pull apart, his throat is tight and his eyes are wet.

‘I love you,’ she says, breathlessly, her cheeks flushed, wiping her eyes.

‘I love you too,’ he replies, even though his voice is cracking a bit.

She reaches up to give him one last gentle kiss. She pulls away far too soon, and before he can even process what’s happening, she and Ginny are on the train and it is moving, taking her far away from him for the first time since his world fell apart.

She looks at him out of the window and waves softly, smiling at him and at Harry.

They stand together, shoulder to shoulder, saying nothing, but waving back wistfully.

October can’t come soon enough.


End file.
